Did you know that in 2016, women working full time in the United States typically were paid just 80 percent of what men were paid, a gap of 20 percent? The gap has narrowed since the 1970s, due largely to women’s progress in education and workforce participation and to men’s wages rising at a slower rate. Still, the pay gap does not appear likely to go away on its own. At the rate of change between 1960 and 2016, women are expected to reach pay equity with men in 2059. But even that slow progress has stalled in recent years. If change continues at the slower rate seen since 2001, women will not reach pay equity with men until 2119.

Wait, what?

Isn’t that illegal?

Yes, it is illegal, and has been since June 10, 1963 when the Equal Pay Act was signed into law by President Kennedy as part of the New Frontier Program. But here we are in 2017 still fighting the same battle.

And from where I sit, Monday through Friday, the fight is real.

I work in an office where the women outnumber the men three to one. The majority of the work falls on the women of the staff. By that I mean the men have their specific job duties and the women theirs. But that gray area called “other duties as assigned,” well, that behemoth lands on the females. If you are not familiar with “other duties as assigned” the best I can figure is that it is code for, “ALL new initiatives, events and projects.”

Sound familiar?

Oh, but there’s more…

The men in my office make two and three times more than the women. In fact, the lowest paid male employee makes 75% more than the highest paid female employee. She has a higher title, more employees to supervise and more responsibilities. He is a new employee, she a veteran.

OH, HELL NO!

The time has come for women to DEMAND MORE, EXPECT BETTER, CHANGE THE CULTURE.

Think about this as you sit in your office today…can we afford to wait till 2119 to catch up? Don’t we want better for our daughters?

Granddaughters?

Great granddaughters?

Great-great granddaughters?

For ourselves?

elevenTEN matters.

We need to tackle this and all gender discrimination, bias, violations and disgusting assaults TOGETHER!